Empress Dowager Cixi wasn’t born into power – she took it. After participating in a 19th century version of The Bachelor, Cixi was chosen as one of the Emperor’s concubines. In part one of this two-part series, Cixi uses her cunning, wit, and scrappy attitude to rise through the ranks, eventually becoming one of the most powerful Chinese empresses of all time. But getting power is one thing – keeping it will prove to be an entirely different challenge.

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Empress Dowager Cixi of China Part 1: Coup There It Is | 4

Admit it: you’re obsessed with royal families – watching them, gossiping about them, wanting to be them. It’s the stuff of fantasy. But for real life royals, the crown jewels can be more like shiny handcuffs. There are expectations and rules – and if you break them, the consequences are big, and very public. And no, we’re not just talking about Harry and Meghan. There are royal families and wild royal tales from around the world and throughout history that you have never heard before. From Wondery comes the latest from Even the Rich co-hosts Brooke Siffrinn and Aricia Skidmore-Williams. Even the Royals takes us inside the cloistered world of royal families, past and present, where wealth and status often come at the expense of your freedom – and maybe even your life. In these stories, very human emotions, like jealousy, love, disgust, have the power to reshape the world. 
 New episodes out weekly. Follow Even the Royals on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge Even the Royals early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.

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Ubolratana of Thailand’s story is the classic tale of a princess who wants to throw her crown away and live happily ever after with a commoner. Except…Ubolratana’s story doesn’t end with happily ever after. Because this princess decides she made a mistake. But she’ll soon find out that putting the crown back on her head will be a lot harder than taking it off.

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Princess Ubolratana of Thailand: Royal Regrets | 25

In Part One, Caroline of Brunswick escaped her controlling parents only to wind up in a worse situation – married to Prince George IV of England, a serial cheater who despises her. Luckily, the English people hate the Prince just as much as she does. And that’s gonna come in handy because George is about to become king – and will use his newfound power to try to get rid of Caroline, again. She’ll have to use every trick up her sleeve in order to beat him at his own game.

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Caroline of Brunswick Part 2: Eat, Pray, Loathe | 20

Over a hundred years before Princess Diana and Prince Charles, there was another doomed British royal couple: Queen Caroline and King George IV.  Caroline and George’s hatred for each other runs so deep that it leads to a war that snowballs into a full blown tabloid circus.  (Imagine Johnny Depp and Amber Heard-level drama, but set in Jane Austen’s era.) Their fighting eventually ends in a trial about sexual double standards -- with the whole country waiting on the edge of their seats to see how it will all play out.

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Caroline of Brunswick Part 1: Sex, Lies & Letters  | 19

Grigori Rasputin has gone down in history as the famous Russian peasant who used his mystical skills to rise to the height of power at the turn of the 20th century. But do you know the man who murdered him? Meet Prince Felix Yusupov, the handsome and rich Russian royal desperate to make a name for himself. But Felix is about to find out that plotting the magic man’s murder is way easier than getting away with it.

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Prince Felix Yusopov: How to Get Away with (Rasputin’s) Murder | 18

In part one, Grigori Rasputin went from a powerless peasant to the spiritual advisor of the Tsar and Tsarina, the most powerful couple in Russia. Now, Rasputin’s “healing abilities” have been put to the test. If he saves their son, Alexei, he can solidify his place of power. If he doesn’t, he’s gone for good. Unfortunately for Rasputin, whatever the outcome, he’s already made enemies who are scheming to bring him down - dead or alive. 




In this episode we discuss sexual assault. If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline in the U. S. by calling 1 800 656 HOPE. That's 1 800 656 4673.

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Empress Dowager Cixi of China Part 1: Coup There It Is | 4

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